Aug 28, 2023
When Brian Tracy mentioned in his book “No Excuses”- that the top 20% have the wealth and assets of the remaining 80% of the world, I was shocked! That was the first time I’d heard such.
I made up my mind almost immediately to keep on growing no matter what; then I saw on @kalypsodesigns (IG) a post titled (1 percent better every day). I knew I had to start applying the Pareto Principle in my life.
First off, what is the Pareto principle?
The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a concept that suggests that a large proportion of results come from a relatively small proportion of inputs or causes.
(Green color signifies important while grey signifies unimportant).
Simply put, approximately 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts
This idea works in many areas of life and business, helping us manage resources, boost productivity, and make smarter decisions. So, I’ll use this concept to improve our work in UX Design.
As a UX designer, you can draw inspiration from the concepts discussed by Brian Tracy, using the idea of the top 20% to enhance your skills, career, and impact in the field of User Experience, this means that a small portion of your activities will have the most significant impact on your success.
(The aim of this blog post is to ensure that your efforts result in the best outcomes, thus boosting your income.)
So here’s how you can apply this principle as a UX designer:
1. Business
a. Project prioritization:-
Application: Identify the projects or features most impactful on the user experience and align with the company’s goals.
Benefit: By prioritizing key projects, you ensure that your design work contributes directly to the company’s success. This streamlined approach improves efficiency and resource allocation.
b. User-centered design:-
Application: Dedicate your efforts to understanding the most critical user needs and pain points through research and testing. Prioritize solving these issues in your designs.
Benefit: Addressing the critical user pain points enhances user satisfaction, engagement, and retention. This focused approach can lead to positive user feedback and increased loyalty to the company’s products or services.
c. Efficient collaboration:-
Application: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, focusing on the most impactful communication and feedback loops.
Benefit: Effective communication with developers, product managers, and stakeholders on essential design aspects ensures that the design implementation aligns with the vision. It reduces rework, speeds up project timelines, and enhances overall productivity.
2. Design decisions
a. Focus on high-impact tasks:-
Identify the tasks that have the most impact on your UX design projects. For instance, spending time on user research, creating intuitive user interfaces, and refining user flows will likely contribute the most to the success of your projects.
b. Effective design decisions:-
Recognize that a small portion of your design decisions will drive the most of the user experience. Concentrate on these critical design elements, such as layout, color schemes, and usability, to ensure positive impact on user satisfaction.
c. Prioritize user needs:-
Understand that a small portion of user needs and pain points influence most on the overall user experience. Identify these crucial aspects to address them effectively in your designs.
d. Simplify and streamline:-
Apply the principle to simplify complex design elements. Recognize that a few design simplifications can significantly improve user comprehension and engagement.
e. Iterative testing and feedback:-
Focus on the 20% of design changes that will lead to 80% of the improvements. Prioritize iterative testing and feedback to refine your designs based on the most impactful insights.
f. Effective communication:-
Concentrate on the 20% of communication with clients and team members that fosters the most productive collaboration. Clear communication regarding design goals, progress, and challenges can lead to smoother project outcomes.
g. Efficient prototyping:-
Invest more time in creating interactive prototypes for user interactions and flows. These prototypes can provide valuable insights early in the design process.
h. Feedback analysis:-
Dedicate time to analyzing user feedback and metrics. Notice the feedback that points to critical usability issues and prioritize addressing them.
3. Income increase (specially for freelancers)
a. Client selection:-
Identify the 20% of clients or projects that bring in 80% of your income. Focus on attracting and retaining high-value clients who appreciate your work and are willing to pay a premium for your services.
b. Portfolio and specialization:
Concentrate on showcasing the top 20% of your projects that showcases your skills and expertise. Specialize in a niche where you can excel, making you more attractive to clients seeking specific expertise.
c. Skill enhancement:-
Instead of trying to learn everything, prioritize the 20% of skills most demanded and valued in the market. It might involve mastering the latest design tools, learning coding basics, or becoming an expert in a specific design trend.
d. Efficient time management:-
Allocate your time effectively by focusing on tasks that directly aid income generation. Spending time on tasks like, client communication, project planning, and design execution will likely yield better results than less impactful activities.
e. Value-added services:-
Identify the additional services that bring in the most revenue. It might include offering user testing, interactive prototypes, or branding services. These value-added services can justify higher rates.
f. Upselling and cross-selling:-
Offer additional design services to existing clients, leveraging the 20% of services that bring in 80% of your extra income. For instance, if you’re a UI designer, you could offer UX audit services to enhance the overall user experience.
g. Refining design processes:-
Focus on optimizing the design processes that lead to the best outcomes. By refining your design workflow, you can deliver higher-quality work more efficiently, allowing you to take on more projects and increase income.
h. Networking and marketing:-
Concentrate your networking efforts on the 20% of contacts who most likely will refer clients or collaborate on projects. Likewise, focus your marketing efforts on platforms and strategies that yield the highest return on investment.
i. Pricing strategy:-
Adjust your pricing model to reflect the value you provide and the demand for your services. Charge premium rates for the specialized skills and services that make you stand out.
Lastly, you!
Take ownership of your design decisions and outcomes. Be accountable for the user experiences your designs deliver. Analyze and draw inspiration from successful UX designs, just as you can learn from the habits of the top 20%.
Study case studies, best practices, and design principles to inform your own work, and build relationships with fellow designers, developers, and stakeholders.
Collaboration and networking can lead to richer design insights and better project outcomes.
Focus on becoming an expert in a specific area of UX design that aligns with your strengths and market demand. Your specialized skills will make you stand out in the industry.
One thing constant amongst every successful person is their profound conviction in themselves, in their potential and capabilities.
Yay! You made it to the end 💚.
Applying these principles and concepts to your work can contribute to your growth as a UX designer and help you stand out in the industry.
👋Hola, If you are interested in more UI/UX-related design topics, follow me on LinkedIn, Medium, and Instagram.